Chances
by CamelotCasper
Summary: Loki's punishment in Asgard brought him to the brink in more ways than one. When he lands in the hands of a young woman broken in her own ways, can she bring him back? Loki/OC
1. Nightmare

**A/N: First Avengers story! Yes it's a Loki story and I absolutely love his character, so naturally I decided to write a story. It is a Loki/OC story. Hope those of you who read it enjoy it! Please read and review, its really encouraging to hear from others.**

Justice.

The definition varies.

Do you practice leniency, or do you ensure the offender never strikes again by eradicating them? Eliminate everything that gave them reason to breathe and walk. Strip them of what gave them purpose.

They meant to break him. They meant to make him regret and pay for his transgressions on Midgard. Countless mortal lives lost at the hands of Loki's desire for power. It was true that Odin could have opted to have him executed, but what would have the end result have been? Another death. Certainly that was not the goal.

No, the goal was to make Loki see just how much pain and suffering he had caused those who inhabit Midgard.

So they allowed him to live. Just barely. He had been stripped of his powers, and locked in the furthest depths of the Asgard prison. He was allowed no visitors, but of course not a soul in the family was informed of this.

He'd lost his sorcery, the one thing that made him feel unique. His brother Thor was indeed a great warrior, a good percentage of men, even a few women in Asgard were. But no one knew sorcery like Loki. He reveled in it.

It had not surprised him that he had no visitors, though it pained him. He held hope that his mother Frigga, would have visited, but not even she came in the month since he'd returned from the destruction of Midgard's New York City. Frigga may not have been his blood mother, but she was the only one Loki was sure truly loved him. When he was a child and Thor found it amusing to conjure lightning and thunder within the palace, Frigga was always the one who would run her fingers through his hair and rock him to sleep while his older brother carried on.

Apparently he had become too much of a disgrace for even her to handle.

What did it matter? He was alone. It was nothing new. While everyone was out admiring Thor, he was always left to himself. This feeling of solitude should have been nothing new.

The pain. That's what was new. That is what exacerbated the feeling of solitude. The beatings from the prison guards, the burns that the chains had left on his wrists, his body was practically a canvas painted with black and blue bruises.

He was still Loki though. That would never change.

Loki told himself this as one guard landed a blow to his head, causing it to slam against the damp brick wall that he was chained to.

The cold, dank room shook as his head bounced off the wall. He groaned slightly from the pain, but his eyes never wavered, never lost that defiant light.

His bruises and cuts, which at this point were more like welts and lacerations, burned from not being properly cared for. But that was the point was it not?

The guard knew this as he continued his assault. It was Odin's orders. More and more each day until a certain point, he was not to kill Loki. Killing him would have been quicker though. Loki's body would not be able to hold up much longer. He was deathly pale, his body had grown thin which was exaggerated by the baggy garments he wore, and the damage done by the guards was evident.

Loki half laughed at his condition. This was simply more of the same. The same just got progressively worse as time wore on. Whether it be being mistreated and lied to half his life, to his father revealing he was nothing more than a pawn and pushing him to the brink so much so that he felt the need to die, to the Chiatauri torturing him and using him for their own sport, to this.

This was no different.

"I would not be laughing were I in your predicament Laufeyson," said the guard eyeing the gaunt demi god chained to the wall.

"I am no one's son," Loki replied coldly.

"So be it." The guard stalked around Loki's figure. "Tell me dear _prince_ how does it feel to be powerless, have no magic? Do you even remember what it is like to use magic, it has been about a month now since the Allfather removed your powers has it not? Perhaps I could show you.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, the guard brought hell upon Loki.

Every pain imaginable was felt. His blood boiled, his bones broke, his every nerve was lit on fire.

For the first time in his captivity, he screamed.

The pain intensified with every passing second. It was worse than his ordeal with the Chiatauri. Much, much, worse. He tried to move, but to no avail. The chains bound him and the little bit he could move was crushed by the crippling all-consuming pain.

His screams ceased only when he had screamed his voice hoarse. The screams turned into pathetic sounds of distress that one would not expect from Loki, the God of Lies and Mischief.

He longed for this to end, even if it meant slipping into a never ending sleep.

Anything, anything to end this nightmare.


	2. Broken

**A/N Here's chapter two. This one was ridiculously hard to write. I couldn't quite decide where to go with it, and certain aspects were difficult to plan out and still make it seem believable. **

The searing pain continued to rip through Loki's body. His body writhed under the spell the guard had placed on him. He could no longer scream, his voice had gone hoarse what felt like hours ago. The chains that held him against the wall scraped against the raw skin of his wrists, adding even more misery to the demigod's torment.

Oh how he wanted it to end. How he wanted something of comfort, something familiar. It had been longer than Loki could remember since he had felt something of general comfort. Even the feel of the sheets from his bedroom would do.

His bed, his books, he missed them so. Even if he didn't want to admit it he wanted nothing more at the moment than to crawl into his bed with its mountains of pillows and just sleep. Maybe, then when he woke up, this would all prove to be one nightmare.

But no.

The pain was all too real. Nightmares weren't this painful, nor did they last this long. They didn't feel this real. Loki knew this was no nightmare. His body was in absolute agony. The spell cast by the guard had not yet been lifted and he continued to writhe against the chains that held him to the wall.

Loki was unsure of when the guard flicked his wrist again an lifted the spell, but eventually the never ending pain was slowly lifted. The guard left, leaving Loki in a curled up mess on the floor only to return moments later with something made Loki blanche more than he already was.

The guard held a long piece of golden thread and a needle in his hands.

Loki as much as he could tried to scramble away from the guard knowing all too well what was coming. They were going to sew his mouth closed. It wasn't until the chain yanked him back to the harsh, cold ground that he remembered, he was trapped. The guard approached him with the needle threaded. Loki as best he could moved away from the guard but it was to no avail. The guard grabbed his thin, pale arms and used the chain to bind them behind the demi god's back leaving Loki completely at the guard's mercy. He held Loki's head in place and slowly began to stitch his mouth closed. At first Loki screamed, but the screams soon turned into whimpers. The guard left the room, leaving Loki's lips dripping with blood, and his arms still bound behind his back. He tried to fight back the tears that brimmed in the back of his eyes, but eventually they fell, one by one.

Time crawled. How much time had passed, Loki was unsure, but it moved at a snails pace. With his lips sewn shut, he could not eat nor drink. His already weakened body grew more gaunt and frail as the next several days passed.

The guards came and inflicted their torture upon him on a daily basis. With his powers stripped from him he was unable to heal his body. Old wounds only became deeper and infected from lack of care. Loki could slowly feel the life being drained out of him.

One particular day a guard walked in with the thread and needle yet again. Loki visibly trembled at the sight of them.

"I do wonder, what would happen if we sewed your eyes lids shut. Shall we see?" Loki's eyes were panic ridden as the guard came closer. Were they slowly going to deprive him of each the five senses? He struggled against his shackles as the guard approached him.

Anywhere he wanted to be anywhere else other than here.

Hell even Midgard would be better than this. Maybe on Midgard he would have a chance. The world he once tried to rule becoming his sanctuary. If only he could tap into his locked magic.

"_Focus Loki." _He told himself. If he could summon enough energy he could teleport himself out of here. After that? Well he would figure it out when he reached that point. He focused his mind as best he could attempting to ignore the guard drawing closer with the needle and thread. Loki thought of nothing other than leaving, escaping, transporting himself away.

"_Please," _he begged his mind.

He'd decided if his mind would not allow him to tap into the locked magic, he'd end his misery himself.

He had no other option, he'd tried it once before when Odin rejected him on the bridge.

Loki could feel the guard drawing near. Just as the guards' fingertips brushed against Loki's face, the demigod vanished.

* * *

The phone rang loudly enough to awaken twenty two year old Nyanna Stewards from her deep sleep. She turned over towards the phone, tossing her chocolate brown hair out of her face.

2:30

It was 2:30 AM.

Groaning, she picked up the phone.

"Its 2:30 AM. What could you possibly need at 2:30 AM? Her voice had a tone of annoyance, only hidden by how tired she was.

"We've got a patient for you Nya. He's in pretty bad shape, can't figure out what the hell happened to him. We didn't think we would have time to call a doctor in from the city." The annoyed look dissipated from the young doctor's face as she jumped out of her bed pulling a hoodie over her head.

"Bring him over."

The doctor hurriedly began arranging the spare room across from hers so that it would serve as a semi functional hospital room. This was always the room that served as her makeshift hospital room, she had the set of it down to a science. The walls were tinged a light beige against a lighter wood floor. It was simply furnished with a large bed, a dresser and a night stand. The bay window opposite the door usually let the mid afternoon sun in.

Just as she was finishing her setup, the doorbell rang. Nyanna flew down the steps and swung the door open, stunned at the sight that met her eyes. Cradled in the sheriff's arm's was a man with a face you would have to live under a rock to not know. There was not an inch of skin that was not covered in a laceration or a bruise as far as she could see. Blood was dried over his lips from them being sewn shut. His chest rose and fell quickly indicating how shallow he was breathing. His mid neck length black hair was in a complete disarray.

"Don't just stand there, get him inside!" Nyanna barked. She recognized this man from the news, she knew who he was, what he'd done. Even in Bolton Vermont, they had heard of Loki, who had decimated midtown Manhattan.

That was not going to stop Nyanna.

The sheriff carried Loki up the maple steps until he reached the room he knew that Nyanna used as her care room. He set him down gently on the sea foam green bedspread as Nyanna set about checking his vitals, rapidly writing things down on a clipboard. The sheriff stood aside as she moved to check his heartbeat.

"Nan, you know who he is I should-"

"Sheriff, you know I don't turn away anyone who walks in here," she said interrupting the sheriff not taking her eyes away from Loki.

"He's dangerous Nan."

"Yeah? And how dangerous could he be to end up like this?"

The sheriff's face softened into a smile, knowing there was no way of deterring the young doctor from her decision. He left the brightly lit room leaving Nyanna to tend to Loki.

She checked his temperature, noting a fever as she mulled over the sheriff's words. This was the same man that had destroyed part of Manhattan. He was a villain, an enemy. Yet here she was, cleaning the raw skin on his wrists, among his various other wounds. Once she that task was complete, Nyanna set up an IV in the hopes of alleviating the dehydration his body had suffered.

As carefully as she could, she took a pair of sewing scissors and snipped at the threads binding his lips together. She was thankful for him being completely unconscious at the moment. After the thread was out, Nyanna cleaned the punctures where the thread had been.

It was certainly odd seeing the demigod from the news in such a vulnerable state. It didn't take her long to figure that this must have been the punishment for what he had done on Earth. She could from his wounds and his malnourished body that he must have endured this treatment for over a month.

"How the hell did you get here? And what am I going to do when you wake up?"

Nyanna already knew the answer, knowing herself all too well, as she settled into a chair next to Loki's bedside planning to monitor him for the night.

Another loss was unacceptable.

**A/N: Voila! The way I was thinking with Loki being able to access his telepathy was along the lines of the same feeling you have in an adrenaline rush. You can tap into things you normally can't when you're desperate. There's the introduction to my OC, her past will slowly begin to be revealed as the story progresses but I don't want to give to much away. I honestly hope the way I wrote Loki's "escape" was well done, it gave me the most trouble. Please read and review! Its a little discouraging to see a large amount of story views in the stats, and only one review on the story itself. I really like to know what my readers think. **


	3. The Doctor

**A/N:Here's chapter three! Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter! It was much appreciated! Hope you enjoy this one!**

Nyanna didn't let herself sleep that night. She rose every twenty minutes to check Loki's vitals and every hour or so to change the IV bag.

She had a hard time grasping the concept that this was what passed for justice in another world. This wasn't justice. Killing him would have been more just than this.

The doctor was knocked from her thoughts as the alarm on the IV drip began to beep softly. She checked his vitals, pleased with the improvement over the last several hours. His face looked at ease, only twitching once or twice. The swelling on some of the bruises had gone down moderately.

It was nearly nine in the morning. The sun was beginning to break through the morning clouds allowing enough natural light into the room that she could shut off the floor lamp. The doctor slowly laid back on her mattress intending only to close her eyes for a few moments.

Sleep enveloped her exhausted form instead.

* * *

_"__If you fail, if the Tesseract is kept from us, there will be no realm, no barren moon, no crevice where he can't find you. You think you know pain? He will make you long for something as sweet as pain.__"_

Loki could feel the torture inflicted upon him by the Chitauri as he slept. He felt the flashes of white hot pain all over again. His body was covered in a cold sweat, his fists balled into the sheets.

_" __I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day. Bring about an alliance, bring about permanent peace... through you. But those plans no longer matter."_

He remembered the feeling of utter abandonment as he realized who he really was. No, _what _ he really was. The very monster that he learned to fear as a child.

_"No, Loki."_

He remembered Odin rejecting him yet again, not seeing his multiple attempts to gain his father's adoration.

Soon he felt the needle piercing his lip to sew them shut. His hand flew to his lips to stop it as he slept.

"No, no, no," his screams echoed throughout the room. His form was half asleep, half awake, flailing about on the bed in fear.

"Shhhhh. It's alright, no one's going to hurt you." Loki heard a voice just above a whisper attempting to bring him back to reality. He felt a warm hand running up his arm soothingly trying to calm him. The hand grabbed a hold of his own hand and held it at his side.

Slowly, the demi god opened his eyes. He was no longer in the dank cell of the prison in Asgard. Instead he was surrounded by beige walls with a window that had the sun streaming through it. His body no longer lay on the unforgiving cold ground. Loki found himself in a large bed covered by multiple blankets, the top one being a combination of blue and green. He looked to his left and followed the hand that held his up to the face that owned the body. Looking at him was a pair of dark brown eyes set in a round face of a young woman. Her curly hair matched her eyes and fell just above the black hoodie she wore.

"You were having a nightmare, but it's over now." Loki looked into her eyes trying to read them as best he could. He was still adjusting to his surroundings. His face paled when he saw the needle stuck in his arm, it only reminded him of the sewing of his mouth. Loki moved to take the needle out but found himself stopped by the doctor.

"That's there to make you better. It's not ready to come out yet. Soon though." Loki slowly removed his hand not understanding how a needle in his arm could possibly make him any better. It only made him wary. He noticed the bandages that covered his various wounds, realizing that this woman must have cleaned and covered them. Loki's eyes darted from the bandages to the doctor.

"Can you speak?"

Loki moved to shake his head, and then put his hand to his lips realizing they were no longer bound together by the thread.

"Where am I?" His voice was cracked, and his throat raw. It pained him just to let those three words leave his lips.

"You're in Bolton, Vermont. To be more specific you're in my home, which suffices as a small hospital when it's a job I can handle.

"Who are you?" His eyes fixed on Nyanna.

"Nyanna Stewards. Resident doctor of the town." Loki looked at the young woman in front of him. Her eyes were full of nothing but compassion. He flinched slightly as she moved to feel his forehead.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to see if your fever has come down at all." The back of her hand lightly pressed to Loki's forehead. "Better, much better." The demigod in the bed was more than confused by the kindness this Midgardian named Nyanna was showing him. She should despise him. He would have had her kneel at his feet and most likely killed her had she not if this had been two months ago.

"Would you like something to eat?" Loki unknowingly nodded. He had not had anything to eat since his lips had been sewn together. Even it was Midgard food, his heart leapt at the promise of food.

"I'll be back in a moment." The doctor left leaving Loki alone in the room. He tried to move as much as his body would let him, but his body screamed in agony as he tried to sit up. Loki let himself collapse back onto the pristine white pillows that lay beneath him, the blanket clutched in his hand.

Nyanna returned as she promised with food. She held a brown tray with a bowl and a mug, both filled with some kinds of steaming liquids.

"It's not much, just soup and tea. I can tell it's been a while since you've had food so I'm starting you off light." Loki watched as she set the tray next to the bed and held out her hand. "Do you need help sitting up?"

The demigod was almost ashamed that he could not even sit up on his own, but at the same time he was glad to have someone there to care for him. He took hold her hand and did what he could while she helped him into a sitting position and set the tray over him. Even if it was soup and whatever this Midgard beverage called "tea" was, he was grateful to see it before him. To his surprise and delight he was able to lift the spoon into the soup and at least feed himself. He avoided letting the warm liquid touch his lips where the thread had been. Once the soup was finished he started on the tea. Loki noted how much sweeter it was than the soup as he sipped it slowly. The tea coated his throat easing some of the sting and pain. At the same time he could feel his nerves relaxing slightly. He set the mug down back on the tray and looked to Nyanna.

"I believe you have told me your name, but you have not asked mine." Loki noticed the slight improvement in his voice, though it still had a slight rasp to it.

The doctor smiled. "You'd have to be living under a rock to not know who you are, even in this small town. Loki isn't it?"

The demigod nodded. "So why are you so willing to help me? I had every intent of ruling over your people. What phrase is it you Midgardians use, squash you like a bug?"

Nyanna laughed while sipping her own tea. "The phrase is correct. And to answer your question, I'm a doctor, it is my job to help people who are sick and injured when they need it. You are both sick and injured."

Loki looked into her eyes and smirked seeing the faint shroud of a lie.

"One should not lie to the God of lies and mischief."

The doctor eyed him for a moment before answering. "I was not lying. However, whether or not I chose to disclose the rest of my reasoning is entirely up to me."

Loki decided to leave it at that. He certainly was not about to anger the only person in Midgard who was probably willing to help him. No, that would be completely foolish of him. Despite what he may have tried to do in the past to the Midgardians, or how he felt about them, this woman was providing him with what he had lacked in prison and had been so desperate to return to; the basic necessities to feel alive.

At this point it was now midafternoon, and the sun shone through the windows. Nyanna took the tray from Loki and left the room.

"I'll be back in a second I just want to put this in the kitchen.

Loki nodded settling himself back in the bed. The soup was settling well with him and whatever was in that "tea" had relaxed him to the point that he was able to ignore the pain in his body for the time being. He realized that at this point, Odin was most likely looking for him, certainly more worried about him trying to subjugate another race as opposed to the fact that his "son" was missing. Loki wondered what would happen when he was found. Heimdall would have alerted Odin to exactly where he was at this point, the gatekeeper had eyes that could see the smallest occurrence within the nine realms.

For right now, Loki had set it in his mind to focus on his recovery. If he was able to tap into his powers to access his ability to teleport, perhaps he would be able to reach his ability to heal when he regained more energy. Right now, he felt like falling back to sleep.

"Don't fall asleep just yet. I still have to get that IV out." Nyanna walked back into the room catching Loki before he drifted back into sleep. The demigod looked to his arm and paled yet again when he remembered the needle.

"It's not going to hurt when I take it out. If it helps at all, don't look. That's what I tell all my other patients."

Loki turned his head to the side as Nyanna removed the medical tape that held the needle down. Carefully she slid it out, making sure it was barely noticeable.

"There done. Wasn't so bad." Loki turned his hand around where the needle had been seeing that the doctor had kept true to her word.

"I'll let you get some rest. The tea knocks you out pretty quickly." She pulled the covers back over him and left leaving the door cracked open. "My room is down the hall. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Before Loki had the chance to ask how and why this tea was making him so sleepy, he felt his eyes drooping closed, slipping into a peaceful slumber.

**A/N: There you go! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I really hope I kept Loki in character. As for Nyanna her past will reveal itself soon enough. Please read and review! Reviews are like food!**


	4. Books and Bandages

**A/N: Nyanna's past starts to slip through a bit in this chapter. Oh and just to let you know, Bolton is a real town in Vermont. Less than 1,000 people living there apparently. Thanks to those of you who reviewed my story last chapter! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. **

**Disclaimer: Whoops I've been forgetting to do this. The only thing I own is Nyanna, anything that looks or sounds familiar, isn't mine. **

The doctor slipped into her room once Loki had fallen asleep. Her room was not much different from the one Loki was in. It was furnished no differently with the exception of a bookcase on the right hand side of her bed. The walls were more gold than they were beige. Nyanna sat herself on the bay window looking down into the quiet town below her.

It still surprised her how well she adjusted to the quiet surroundings of Bolton. It had been roughly three years since the Sheriff had brought her here from Miami. She actually preferred the tranquility of the small town over the bustling city of Miami. The quiet suited her personality better. Her sister was the one who reveled in the excitement and noise in the city.

Nyanna shook her head biting her lip as she tried to shake off the memories. Crying wasn't going to bring her back. There was no point in weeping, it would get her nowhere. The best thing to do was to push it out her mind so she could focus on her work. She had a patient in the next room over who she had no clue what to do with once he actually got better. There was no way in hell she would , or _could_ send him back to Asgard. That would not happen. He certainly didn't seem like he had any nefarious intentions this time. Maybe some time here would do him good. It changed her for the better, and still was changing her.

"_Listen to yourself Nan, you're essentially talking about harboring a fugitive, a criminal. You know its dangerous. You know what he did."_

Nyanna also knew what she had done, and knew the second chance she had been given. Sometimes a second chance was all that was needed to save a life. From the perspective of a doctor, she knew that. From experience, she understood that. Despite the nagging voice in her head, she decided she would give Loki his second chance.

She exited her room to peek in on Loki. He was turned over on his side, the blanket wrapped around him. The tea had him knocked out cold. She hoped he would sleep the rest of the day. His body would need it to heal. It would take a while before he was back on his feet again. Slowly, she closed the door to his room before tiptoeing across the wood flooring to hers.

OoO

Loki groaned slightly as he woke. He almost forgot the events of the past day. The demi god half expected to wake up in his cell with his arms chained behind him.

The pleasant comfort and softness of the bed was enough to remind him that he was, for the moment, safe on Midgard. He rolled over as best he could without hurting himself. The device on the table read 12:00 pm. That was the Midgardian equivalent of midday. Loki rubbed his eyes wondering just how long he'd been asleep.

"Hey, you up?" Loki turned to find Nyanna standing in the doorway. Her curly hair was pulled back off her face. She dressed simply in a pair of blue pants Loki knew to be common among Midgardians and short sleeve pale blue shirt over a darker blue tank.

Nyanna helped Loki into a sitting position and began rummaging through her medical cabinets, taking out the items she would need to change his bandages.

"How long was I asleep?"

"About twenty hours. It's good you slept that long, your body needs the rest to recover."

Loki looked at the doctor, still not understanding her compassion. This woman _knew _what he had done, yet she still treated him.

"I'm going to have to change your bandages. You were unconscious last time I did it, so I can't promise you aren't going to feel anything this time." The demigod tried to keep his composure, but felt his stomach tie in knots at the thought of enduring more pain.

"If you must." His voice was bitter and slightly fearful of what was to come.

"I'll do it as painlessly as I know how. I promise." Loki watched as Nyanna started with the bandages around his wrist where the chain had cut into his flesh. She unwrapped the bandage, threw it away and began to reach for the cotton balls and some bottle that held a cream inside. The man watched as she applied the cream and brought it to his wrist.

Loki yanked it away before she had the chance to put it on. He didn't want to know what it might do, what possible pain it might inflict. He looked at Nyanna half pleading with his eyes asking not to cause him the pain that he was afraid might come.

"It's not going to do any more than sting. I can't begin to imagine what you've been through, but you're not helping yourself if you don't let me clean these." Her voice was low, above a whisper, but it had that same soothing tone that she had used yesterday.

Loki nodded hesitantly and held his wrist back out for Nyanna. Carefully, she began to clean the wound watching Loki's face for any sign of discomfort. When she was satisfied, she wrapped his wrist back up and proceeded to work on the next one. The demigod watched as she worked trying to read her as best he could. Her face had soft features, that matched her pleasant personality. Her eyes looked a few years beyond what they should. Loki knew if secrets lay anywhere, it was always in the eyes.

He almost didn't want to talk though. He'd been beat into silence every time he opened his mouth in prison, and then had his mouth sewn shut. He met the doctor's eyes briefly as she worked on the bandages on his left arm.

"So tell me Doctor, what's the reason you are treating me with such compassion and generosity. I certainly have given you no reason to."

Loki watched Nyanna's eyes as she thought of her response.

" I told you I'm a doctor, it's my job. I'm sure you had doctors or medics of some type on Asgard?"

"We do. However they are sworn to heal those who deserve it. Prisoners and fugitives are not deemed deserving." He watched as Nyanna shook her head and picked up another bandage.

"This is Earth, doctors here don't operate like that, and I certainly don't and never will." Loki noticed the anger the dripped from her voice. "I need you to slide down and pull the blanket back, the bandages on your chest need to be changed too."

He obeyed sliding himself down as best he could, while Nyanna folded the blanket down to his waist. He smirked observing the blush that was beginning to rise in her cheeks as she began to change the bandages on his chest.

"Is this making you uncomfortable Doctor?"

"I'm a doctor. I've seen people come in worse shape than you did. Shirtless men don't make me uncomfortable."

Loki studied her face. Her response had no falter to it, her eyes void of anything the determination for properly cleaning his wounds. She had walls up around her, not much different than the walls he had around himself.

"There done." She replaced the last bandage and removed her gloves, throwing them in the garbage. "That wasn't so bad was it?"

"Perhaps not."

"If you sit tight for a few minutes I can get you something to eat." The doctor left the room leaving Loki to wonder what "sit tight" meant. Was this a Midgardian expression for "do not move?" He tried to move his legs some, only being able to bend them slightly before a wave of pain forced him to relax his muscles. He wanted to be able to move, walk, leave this room. While he was not being tortured and tormented, he did not wish to trade one cell for another.

Nyanna returned a few moments with another tray. It was again soup and tea , but this timethe soup had noodles in it and a few other Midgardian foods. Loki gratefully began eating, not realizing just how hungry he had been. The doctor sat beside his bed, same as she had yesterday.

"Do you not eat?"

"Not when I'm on duty, no. I'll probably get something to eat later."

"And what am I to do?" Loki asked eyeing her.

"That depends on how you feel. I don't think you're quite strong enough to walk yet, maybe after another day or so of bed rest. I have some books you might like though."

Books. His room in the palace in Asgard had shelves of went on endlessly. He had always enjoyed reading and valued it more so than Thor or his companions. Reading taught him to think, analyze, be cautious. It gave him the knowledge that fueled his wit and silver tongue.

"I would like that."

Nyanna left the room, walking in with an armful of books a few minutes later. She set them on the side of Loki on the bed.

"When you're feeling a bit better, there's a small library across the hall. As long as you put them back in order , they're yours to read while you are here." She smiled softly while Loki picked up one of the books in the pile. _Les Miserables_ it was called.

"That one is a personal favorite," Nyanna said, watching as he opened the book. "I cannot tell you how many times I have reread it. If you'll excuse me, I have a few phone calls I need to make. I'll be right downstairs, just yell if you need me."

With that she left leaving Loki more confused than he had been previously. This woman was showing him kindness that he had not seen in some time. He was a monster. Surely she knew that? Even without his terrifying Jotun appearance, he was still a monster. Odin gave him a punishment fitting of a monster, having him treated "how he acted."

Loki had done everything wrong, could not understand why this woman, this Nyanna Stewards, would be this generous to him. She treated him as if he had not committed his crimes against Midgard. Her caring baffled him. He knew this not to be a sign of simple human weakness. There was a reason she was so compassionate, so generous, something that went beyond her duty as a doctor.

The demigod positioned himself more comfortably on the bed and pulled the thick book onto his lap. His fingers ran over the pages having missed just the feeling of holding a book in his hands. After much appreciating the fact that he held a book in his hands again, he began to read.

**A/N: First things first, there is a very specific reason I chose Les Miserables aside from it actually being my favorite book on the planet. If you know the story, then you should understand why. Secondly yes Nyanna's past is starting to reveal itself as promised, more will be revealed in the coming chapters. Reviews are greatly appreciated especially because I feel like I really had Loki slightly out of character in this chapter despite my best efforts. **


	5. Secrets

**A/N: Thank you again to those of you who reviewed the last chapter. I'm going to warn you this one gets a little darker than the previous ones. Nyanna's past comes out quite a bit in this one, so hopefully you'll begin to see exactly what makes her tick soon. This chapter also jumps POV and time a bit just to give you a heads up. **

**Disclaimer: If it's not Nyanna, I don't own it. **

Nyanna sat quietly at her dining room table as she filled out a prescription for pain medications that a patient was supposed to pick up later that day. She'd looked in on Loki about half an hour ago to find him soundly sleeping. Other than a few questions and witty remarks, he hadn't said much to her. Much to her delight he seemed to be recovering well. The swelling from the bruises had gone down, the open wounds were closing without any sign of infection, and his vitals seemed to be stabilized. She figured she would actually be able to give him something other than soup tonight, still nothing heavy, but something that wasn't soup. By tomorrow she would see if he was well enough to walk again.

The doctor put down the pen and tiredly rubbed her eyes. It wasn't even five pm and she was already exhausted. People in Bolton constantly said she worked too hard, but it was what she needed. Focusing on her work, her patients, it made her feel useful. She had been given a second chance, she was certainly not going to waste it away.

There was a knock on the door distracting Nyanna from her thoughts. She strode across the floor and opened the cherry red door to her home.

"Oh hello sheriff." The older gentleman tipped his hat and walked in and handed a bag to Nyanna. She knew he must have just come off duty, he was still in his navy uniform. Nyanna opened the bad to see groceries knowing they must have been from his wife.

"Thank you, but you didn't have to do this. Come into the kitchen, I'll get you something to drink." The sheriff followed her into the spacious kitchen Nyanna set the groceries on the counter before serving the Sheriff a glass of lemonade. She leaned against the pale yellow tiles as the sheriff sipped his drink.

"So how's he doing?"

"Loki? He's doing rather well. Might be walking by tomorrow."

The sheriff eyed Nyanna and shook his head. "You're hell bent on helping him aren't you? You know it's dangerous"

"You helped me, without knowing me at all. You brought me up here with your family until I got back on my feet, you didn't think that was a little dangerous?"

"Your situation was different Nan and you know that. You were teetering on the edge of a building with a bottle of vodka in your hand. You needed help."

Nyanna went pale at the memory. She did everything she could to try and forget that week three years ago. The hurricane, losing her sister, blaming herself for getting separated from her sister in the house. She spiraled downward that week until that day when she lost it all.

"Don't bring that up."

Nyanna gripped the edge of the sink until her knuckles turned white while trying to shake off the feeling. She hated thinking about it, absolutely hated it. The memories consumed her, drowning her in sorrow and self-hate.

* * *

Loki's eyes fluttered open. He was beginning to get tired of this bed, and the room. It was all he had seen for the last four days. Though he was enjoying being able to read again, he wanted to see something other than these beige walls. The demigod swung his legs over the edge of the bed and held onto the headboard as he pushed himself up. He let go when he was standing. To his delight he took a few steps without falling, and then a few more. His muscles ached, but he ignored it. He took hold of the doorknob and the robe Nyanna left him, pulling it on as he stepped outside.

The room was across from the stairway that led downstairs. He set a foot on the step, and stopped when he heard talking.

"Your situation was different Nan and you know that. You were teetering on the edge of a building with a bottle of vodka in your hand. You needed help."

This was a conversation he knew he wasn't supposed to be hearing.

Oh well.

The demi god listened intently as the conversation continued.

"Don't bring that up." That was Nyanna's voice. It soundly desperately broken compared to the usual calmness Loki was used to hearing in it. He waited for the conversation to continue.

"I just don't want you to stress yourself to that point again, you work yourself to hard, take a break every once in a while Nan." Loki was unsure of who this voice belonged to.

"Stress? You're worried about stress pushing me to the edge again? It wasn't stress that drove me to that rooftop the first time! My sister had died in my arms three days earlier! Working, that's just how I keep my mind focused, so I don't end up on the top of a roof again!"

Loki swallowed. Was he hearing correctly? The woman who seemed so cheerful and light hearted, had attempted to end her own life? He knew she had things hidden behind her walls, but he had not expected that.

"Nyanna you can't do this to yourself. Have you considered it again?"

Loki waited for the answer.

"Sheriff I think you need to leave."

The demigod knew that was a yes. This woman, this girl, seemed to be in as much of a state of disrepair as he was. Loki heard the sheriff's shoes click on the floor followed by Nyanna's as she led him to the front door. The sheriff tipped his hat at Loki who nodded in acknowledgement. Nyanna turned around as he left and smiled once she saw Loki standing.

"You're standing," she stated.

"So I am," he replied coolly. The tears that had stained her face were obvious to him despite her best efforts to hide them.

"Great! You'll be able to come downstairs for dinner. I'll get started on it and let you know when it's ready." Loki watched as she turned back to the kitchen and left him at the top of the steps. The demigod walked back to his room realizing he might have more in common with this mortal than he thought. He showered, actually knowing how they worked from his last visit to Midgard. Loki changed into the clothes Nyanna had left him which were actually to his liking. It was a dark green button up shirt with a pair of black pants. He slicked his hair back in its usual fashion and walked downstairs, not waiting for Nyanna's call.

He steadied himself using the banister as he walked down the steps observing the rest of the house for the first time. The walls were a deep red matched against the darkened wood floors. He followed the smell of the food to the kitchen, not liking what he saw, though he couldn't pinpoint why.

Nyanna stood at the sink, staring at the sharp knife she held in her hands as if contemplating what it would be better used for; cutting the odd looking green vegetable on the cutting board, or cutting her wrist which was directly below the knife.

"Something smells good."

Loki heard the knife clatter into the sink, startling Nyanna.

"Thanks," she said attempting to pull herself together. "It's not much, just vegetable stir fry. I thought you might be tired of the soup by now."

"You thought right."

"Believe me if you were in a normal hospital, you would be begging for soup." Loki watched as she set a plate down in front of him before sitting down without serving herself. Her eyes were almost hollow looking, despite the smile she had painted on her face.

"You're not eating again," he said simply. "Is eating with your patients considered on duty?"

"Perhaps."

Loki narrowed his eyes at the girl. He didn't like it when people tried to hide things, though he did it quite a bit himself. It was almost an insult to him. He was the God of Lies and Mischief. He knew when he was being deceived. Smiles couldn't hide the pain no matter how hard she tried. Loki would know, he had tried.

"I can't have my doctor in poor health because she doesn't eat well."

Loki smirked as the doctor's expression changed slightly, realizing the logic in his statement. Slowly she rose and served herself. His powers may have been blocked, but he was still able to reason and manipulate people into his doing. Mortals were certainly easy creatures to turn.

Though he was not completely sure he was getting her to eat for completely selfish reasons

Dinner passed quietly. Nyanna did not speak, and Loki decided not to push her. When they had both finished Nyanna cleared the plates. She prepared two mugs of tea and handed one to Loki.

"If you tell me you're getting tired of tea, we're going to have a problem."

"Ah so now you make a jest doctor?"

He watched as she raised one of her eyebrows. "Who said I was making a joke? I take my tea seriously thank you very much. Come on. It's almost seven."

Loki now raised his eyebrow. "Which means what for me?"

"Well its means either you can go back to your bed, or you can come watch Doctor Who with me," she said displaying her own smirk.

Doctor Who it was. Whatever it was.

He followed her to a large room with a black couch and some device with a screen sitting on a stand. There was a small desk with opposite the couch and a door that lead out to a balcony.

"The couch doesn't bite you know, you can sit."

Loki rolled his eyes. Mortal expressions were ridiculous. He took a seat next to her, tea mug in hand as she turned on the screen. He had to admit, he was slightly intrigued as he watched a man known only as "The Doctor," run around a different time period in a city called Paris, trying to save a French girl named Reinette. He liked how the Doctor wasn't human, and clearly was superior to the mortals known as Mickey and Rose. Particularly Mickey. It was almost amusing to see how things didn't work out for the two mortals when they didn't obey the Doctor.

Silly creatures.

Nyanna stayed silent through the episode, slowly sipping her tea. About three quarters of the way through Loki felt a weight hit his shoulder. Looking to his side he saw Nyanna had fallen asleep, his shoulder now being used as a pillow. Attempting not to wake her or cause himself any pain, he rose and laid her down on the couch, draping the purple quilt that lay behind her over her body.

He turned to leave when he heard a pained voice.

"_Najmarie, don't go."_

Loki waited to see if she would call out again and when he was sure she was fine, he went back to his room.

"You've let your secrets out without even knowing Doctor."

**A/N: This chapter annoyed me to no end. I cannot tell you how difficult it was to write. I honestly hope you enjoyed it. The Doctor Who episode I had them watching was "The Girl In The Fireplace." I know that last line from Loki is fairly ambiguous, you can't tell what he's thinking, and that's for a reason. I wrote most of it while listening to Linkin Park Live From Webster Hall (Who I'm seeing a week from today :D) Reviews are like food and I'm hungry! In all seriousness though, reviews help so I know what I am doing right and wrong. **


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